France and Italy, by outsider impressions, are romantic getaways (and not just in the "love" sense of the word). Though to the folks living and working there, especially in the blue-collared jobs (versus creative pursuits), that's got to be a bemusing notion at best.
In Erri De Luca's "The Trench" an Italian man is hired to dig a trench near Paris in search of a sewer pipe. He's somewhat worried that the trench will collapse. It doesn't get much more down to earth than this.
It's interesting because I don't trust myself as a reader here. I think there are hints at a more intriguing story, perhaps the main character has complexities, hidden motivations. Perhaps though it's just the idea of France and Italy that has skewed my expectations and it's really just some dude doing his damned job.
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